1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer games, more specifically to a computer simulation of a baseball game, and most specifically to a computerized baseball game wherein events that determine the course of the game are influenced by discrete interactions between managers of opposing teams through decisions input to a game server through digital transmissions from the managers' remote computing devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Baseball simulation games probably date back to the late nineteenth century, a few decades after the real game of baseball had established itself as America's pastime. The earliest simulations arose out of necessity in vacant lots frequented by American youths, who adapted rules on the fly to cope with every circumstance—rules that were limited only by their unbounded imaginations. When short of the requisite number of players needed to man each of the nine positions on the baseball diamond, rules were created to make up for such deficiencies, e.g., the ubiquitous “ghost runner” would replace a runner on the base paths who was needed at the plate. Ground rules would be established to transform unlikely sites—city blocks, corn fields, streets and alleys—into baseball diamonds, so that a tree, a fire hydrant, or a patch of weeds could serve as third base. Players would be selected for each team by self-appointed captains, who would vie for the first pick according to the “eagle claw” ritual in which one captain would toss a baseball bat to the other with the knob oriented upward. The opposing captain would catch it with one hand to establish an initial grip, and each would place alternating grips at higher locations, hand over hand, until at last the winning captain was able to clasp the knob at the top and claim the first pick.
Indoor simulations and parlor games soon followed. For example, a standard deck of playing cards could be adapted for a baseball simulation game by assigning various outcomes to an at-bat according to a random draw from the deck, e.g. and ace denotes a single, a deuce a double, etc. A variety of mechanical baseball games and board games were also developed in the twentieth century, and are far too numerous for elaboration. Three, in particular, are worthy of further study, for incorporating the names of real-life major league ballplayers into a baseball simulation game, and for using real-life statistics compiled during the careers of these players as the basis for establishing probabilities to determine the outcome of simulated baseball events.
The first of these was patented in 1925 by Clifford A. Van Beek of Green Bay, Wis. as U.S. Pat. No. 1,536,639 and eventually marketed under the name National Pastime. Van Beek's game simulated baseball through a series of player cards and play sheets. Each player card listed a table of numbers that simulated a corresponding real player's statistical performance, and each play sheet listed various possible outcomes for a particular event that could arise during the course of a game. A standard pair of six-sided dice were used to resolve events on a play sheet according to the numbers shown on the cards of the players involved in the event. Events and game play involved batting and fielding probabilities only, without influence from pitching statistics.
The second was a baseball simulation game developed in the 1930s in Lancaster, Pa. by Dick Seitz, who was inspired by the work of Van Beek. Seitz's game, which he called ABPA Baseball, incorporated playing cards, on-field statistics of major league players, a board to represent the playing field, and standard six-sided dice to generate random numbers to resolve outcomes. The ABPA game was eventually computerized in the 1980s, and published by McGraw-Hill for play on a Microsoft Windows platform. Game play is limited in that the events and outcomes are based on plate-appearances, as opposed to pitch-by-pitch.
A third game, All-Time All-Star Baseball published in 1971 by Time, Inc. and Sports Illustrated, featured tri-fold charts that included real player statistics for each of 20 major league baseball teams. A special set of three six-sided dice with results ranging from 10 through 39 were used to resolve events determined for each pitcher and batter. Though based on real life statistics, the pitcher outcomes were determined independently and in advance of the batter outcomes. The game was later released by Avalon Hill as Superstar Baseball with the tri-fold charts replaced by individual player cards based on the 25 best players from the history of each National League and American League team. Printed on each player card were outcome tables for each possible roll of the dice. The latest version included a four-part folding game board displaying a baseball diamond with locations for placing the cards for pitchers and batters that were involved in each at-bat, as well as special outcome tables involving wild pitches, stolen base attempts, sacrifice bunts, and advancing runners on fly balls, that added additional managerial decision components to the game.
With the advent of video games, manually operated baseball simulation games such as these have declined immensely in popularity. And while video games for home systems such as MLB® 12 (Sony) and MVP Baseball (EA Sports) represent a certain state of the art, such systems with all their advanced features have certain drawbacks. For one, the systems are designed for interactive play against video graphics operated by a computer or by another human player. The games are therefore not suited for portability or remote play, because they require a video monitor and a specialized game console and controller. For another, in order for two players to participate, each needs to be in the same location and equipped with controllers designed for that particular system. But perhaps the biggest drawback is that regardless of the extent to which real-life statistics are introduced into the gaming code, the outcome of baseball events are dependent largely on the skill of the human player and his experience manipulating the controls of the particular gaming system. The video games are thus player-centric, and fail to capture accurately the experience of acting as a big-league manager who plays an entirely mental or intellectual game.